


magnolia

by eightredstars



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Bullying, Canon Universe, Infidelity, Junmyeon crossdresses, Kim Junhee, Korean War, Multi, My queen deserves a tag, don't worry junhee appears in one story only lol, lapslock, yifan shapeshifts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-18 07:59:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17576957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eightredstars/pseuds/eightredstars
Summary: nine different livestwo peopleone happy ending





	1. the untouchable flower

**Author's Note:**

> i want to thank the mods for giving me the opportunity in writing my fic in this manner. i envisioned this to be a series-type of stand alone one-shots that are somewhat connected in some way.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the korean princess is betrothed to a chinese prince. yet somehow a simple captain of the guard has caught her attention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the only story in the series that has junhee. the following one deals with a cross-dressing junmyeon.

_beauty … incomparable beauty_

it was springtime in the chinese palace. a plethora of flowers surround the whole kingdom. the aroma of different flowers fill everyone with excitement. it bloomed in time for the royal wedding, which will take place in a couple of days.

the crown prince of china, his highness, prince yixing, shall wed her highness, the princess of korean peninsula, princess junhee, for a strategic marriage arrangement which will strengthen the ties of both countries and equip both with better weapons and armory in time for war.

the princess had acquainted herself with the palace, which shall soon serve as her official residence. she observed the grandeur of the architecture and the intricacy of the design, which suited her taste. one of her ladies-in-waiting showed her highness her bedroom, and in the other side of the huge palace was the master bedroom for the crown prince and his wife.

_my heart flutters when i catch a glimpse of you_

since she is marrying the crown prince, she was entitled to royal aides of her own. for her own safety and protection. it was at the insistence of the king himself, since he knew the dangers of having the princess unguarded; the other eligible bachelorettes and some others could poison or assassinate her royal princess, and it could cause a rift in the kingdom.

_your existence alone makes me live_

“captain wu,” the addressed soldier stood at attention as he was being presented to the princess. “you are in charge of looking after the princess.” his superior, the general, said.

captain wu yifan nodded his head curtly in acknowledgement, and princess junhee smiled at him and said, “i hope you can take care of me.”

“i will do my best, ma’am!” he then gave her a salute and she walked off to be introduced to her other aides.

_oh, if only i could spend my days with you_

_for it will bring me joy_

princess junhee was never alone in the palace, even if she expressed her desire to have privacy while she was in the garden. usually she would occupy herself by walking or reading a book by the shade. she preferred reading a book because she had to hone her mandarin for her betrothed. sometimes, though, when her eyes get tired she would survey the garden and take in the beauty this kingdom flaunted. when she caught a glimpse of the guards, especially captain wu--whom she believed was very handsome--she couldn’t help but stare back. sometimes she would immediately look away whenever she felt intrusive. then again, she didn’t have her own privacy, so why should she feel guilty for such a behavior.

yet somehow, if it was captain wu, it was different. it wasn’t a stare to watch over.

it was a longing gaze.

_alas, i’m doomed to gaze at you from afar_

_for i am not worthy_

_to have your heart_

my dearest princess,

i apologize for not speaking to you about this matter directly. for it is in my hope that i remained anonymous until today, and that our conversations be limited and it may not be traceable. i wish to inform you about my affections for you; i am aware that you may not return mine, but i have accepted that fate. i have been by your side for a couple of moons. however, i can no longer be one of your guards because of conflict of interest. thus, i have decided to leave my post so i will not let any temptation linger. however, my superiors thought it best to promote me to general instead, as they deem me as valuable.

this may be too much to ask, your highness, but i ask only two favors from you.

one, if you see me, please look away.

i can’t bear the thought of your piercing gaze looking through my soul. it pains me that i cannot be by your side, the way i wished it.

maybe in another life or be it another circumstance, i may have the courage to tell you my affections directly, and without any hesitation.

it is my destiny to remain as a faithful servant to the kingdom. as you will become part of this kingdom through marriage, i shall offer my life to you and the crown prince, and to serve and protect you throughout my days.

my second favor is that you burn this parchment. if this be found, you, too, can be put on trial and this be used as evidence. it is in my hope that you will always be safe in the palace, and i will do my best to ensure such.

i wish you all the best in your married life. may you always be happy in the palace.

you are beautiful when you smile, your highness. please do so, even it is not for me. i shall cherish the moments we spent and consider them memorable in my heart.

your most faithful servant,

general wu

upon reading the letter and the attached poem, tears rolled down from junhee’s face. she noticed also the magnolia atop the poem and letter and remarked in her head that it was fragrant, and it smelled citrusy. soon after, she folded the poem and letter and hid it in inside her garment to avoid further suspicion from anyone. the flower, on the other hand, she tucked it behind an ear.

that night, at the newly promoted general’s request. she burned the letter and the poem. she watches the flame devour every piece of the parchment turn into ash that its remains drop on the floor of the princess’ bedroom.

however, she will never erase nor forget the memories she spent with the general wu.

for she, too, was thankful for him.


	2. the wilted and unwanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> junmyeon becomes a gisaeng, but is betrayed by one of the gisaengs that live in their house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there are times i used she for junmyeon because in that moment he felt like he was junhee, not junmyeon.

gisaengs are considered valuable in society, junmyeon, the scholar, observed. as a scholar, he was tasked to study about the world, the people, cultures, history, and all other things. he was unlike other scholars in the palace; he kept a dark secret.

as a child, he would pass by a village where gisaengs held residence. when he saw gisaengs, he would stop to look at their white faces and red glossy lips, heavy with make-up. the gisaengs would fawn over at how he cute he looked, and in turn he would smile back at them.

however, his mother had such disdain for these courtesans. as junmyeon was about to reach and touch one of the courtesans’ hands, his mother swatted it away from him and they briskly walked away from them.

junmyeon’s mother hated the courtesans because of junmyeon’s father’s infidelity. as a nobleman, he had a luxury of spending time with these gisaengs to the point he fell in love with one of them and ran away from his family. junmyeon’s mother was devastated over it and felt shame because of prying eyes.

it was forbidden for gisaengs to fall in love as their duty lay towards entertaining men through beauty and music. or else they would suffer a fatal fate.

right after school, junmyeon would intentionally walk to the gisaeng village so he could see the beauties themselves. it was not because he was smitten nor like his father in that regard. it was not because he wanted to spy on them. it was not because he wanted to go against his mother’s wishes and run off with a gisaeng.

he was curious.

too curious.

that he, himself, wanted to be one.

he admitted that to one of the house mothers that she cackled over the absurdity of junmyeon’s desire to become one of them.

“now, now mother,” an older but youthful looking gisaeng with a small build emerged from a curtain, “he could be of use to us.” she added as she looked at junmyeon from head to toe and neared his face that only a breath can separate them. junmyeon blushed at the mere closeness of him and the woman; not that he was attracted to her, he felt uncomfortable in her presence.

“he can be pretty with the right make-up.” she commented as she slid her fingers on junmyeon’s face. “i’ll take care of you.” she smirked at him and even combed her fingers through his hair, and junmyeon gulped signifying he was terrified of this woman.

the house mother rolled her eyes and sighed, “fine.” she then pointed to the stairs.

the older woman dragged junmyeon by the arm and climbed up the stairs quickly, making junmyeon stumble his steps. the older woman led her and junmyeon to her room where she gestured for junmyeon to sit on her bed, while she fumbled through her things on a table with all her make-up. junmyeon remained wary and cautious over the actions of the woman that he started sweating at the thought of anything sinful that could happen.

“my name’s taeyeon,” she introduced herself as she lined up her make-up on a table by the bed. “how about you?”

“i’m junmyeon,” he replied as he placed a hand on his chest and followed her every movement.

“why are you so curious about us gisaengs?” she dragged a chair and settled it on the side of the bed where junmyeon was sitting uneasily.

junmyeon gulped, “uh,” he even tried to loosen the v-shaped collar of his garment. in his mind, he was prepared to answer the question, but in front of a gisaeng he suddenly was caught off guard. taeyeon had an expectant look on her face as she opened a small bowl which carried white powder. “I’ve always thought you were all beautiful despite how cold your demeanor is.”

“but somehow, i can sense vulnerability, which is fascinating.” he added.

taeyeon cocked an eyebrow when junmyeon said vulnerability.

“oh, please do not misunderstand. i’ve taken quite an interest in human behavior; i find gisaengs mask difficulties they must have faced, yet somehow they manage to go on life without any concern.”

“that was profound, junmyeon.” taeyeon said as she dabbed powder onto a small cloth and started to apply powder on junmyeon’s face.

“sorry, i needed to see what you would look like before we train you.” taeyeon added as she continued applying powder. then she followed with the blush, the eyeliner, and a red liquid for the lips.

it turns out, junmyeon’s features and his long hair helped him look feminine, which meant the make-up simply embellished junmyeon’s face. even the house mother was surprised at taeyeon’s ability to transform junmyeon into a woman, that she did not even hesitate to tell junmyeon to train tonight if he were available. upon hearing that, he blushed at the thought of becoming a gisaeng himself.

* * *

months have passed by and junmyeon has adjusted to his new lifestyle. in the morning, he was an intelligent palace scholar, envisioning himself living the life his mother planned for him. at night he practices into becoming a gisaeng, transforming into a beautiful girl, and deceiving those around him.

during the past few months, junmyeon befriended joohyun, a new apprentice under taeyeon’s wing; they became fast friends despite suffering brought to them by both taeyeon and the house mother. they bonded over how to apply make-up, to dress, and to move gracefully. for junmyeon, he found joohyun’s company warm. as if for some reason, he felt he had a true friend, despite what he got himself into. joohyun was accepting of junmyeon’s whole being, and it meant the world to junmyeon. especially when junmyeon disclosed to joohyun about the man he loved in the palace.

“it’s prince yifan,” junmyeon smiled as he tried on another garment. it was a white/pink hanbok ensemble, which was fitted for junmyeon exclusively. the _jeogori_ was white but had magnolia petals as a print and the sleeves were sheer. the skirt was light pink and flowy.

“oh my!” joohyun gasped.

“which were you surprised about? my new revelation or how i look good in this dress?” junmyeon chuckled as he undressed.

“both.” joohyun answered, and junmyeon beamed.

“why him though?” joohyun was suddenly curious as she opened the drawer of their shared vanity.

junmyeon shrugged, “i find him incredibly charming and handsome.” junmyeon then looked down and smiled as he thought about prince yifan. “he’s also smart too.” he added as he chewed on his lips to stop himself from smiling.

joohyun felt glee for her friend that she squealed.

* * *

as more days pass by, junmyeon and joohyun were given proper training such as poetry recital, dramatization, singing, and dancing, which are essential in entertaining the upper class. the house mother deemed junmyeon to get some vocal training, with taeyeon as the coach. she was stern with junmyeon when he couldn’t hit the right notes or find the right pitch. however, the house mother thought he was adequate enough to do some singing when they get a new client.

the house mother suddenly announced some good news to everyone.

“we’re getting a high profile client,” she said gleefully while holding a wad of cash.

“who?” taeyeon asked with a grin on her face.

“the messenger did not disclose details who requested for our services.” the house mother replied as she counted the money.

“junmyeon and joohyun, i want both of you for the high profile client.” she then declared in front of everyone; taeyeon’s smile deflated at the news.

“what about me? i’m your best entertainer here.” she pointed at herself as she laughed nervously.

“sorry taeyeon, the client requested our younger courtesans.” she said flatly and walked to the kitchen where she can be alone in peace. junmyeon then placed a hand on taeyeon’s shoulder to comfort her, but she shoved it and glared at him. she then left to go to her room and slammed the door.

the best friends, junmyeon and joohyun darted to their shared room, that the house mother admonished them for making noise. instead of complying, they snickered and made their assumptions as to whom the mysterious high profile client was.

* * *

the night finally arrived for joohyun and junmyeon to dress up as gisaengs for their client. junmyeon and joohyun met early in the afternoon to prepare and make some final adjustments to their performance. junmyeon has been practicing to the point that he hums the song while in the palace for his scholarly duties that it disturbed some scholars. joohyun assisted junmyeon with his make-up since he still needed some guidance on applying it without smudging the lipstick and messing up the eyeliner. junmyeon wore a black and red hanbok for this performance. the house mother came up to their room to check-up on both of them and she even assisted in fixing junmyeon’s hair.

“remember, you are junhee,” the house mother emphasized to junmyeon as she inserted pins to ensure no stray hair would appear.

junmyeon grunted at the pain but said yes nevertheless.

moments later, the house was rocked with a knock on their door.

“they're here!” the house mother announced as she stood up from her seat in junmyeon and joohyun’s room; she even clapped. while junmyeon and joohyun were making some finishing touches, taeyeon stood by their door, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed.

she cleared her throat so they would be made known of her presence, “good luck.” she said and promptly left.

junmyeon gulped at that but shook of the thought of any ill intention.

“you look so beautiful, joohyun.” junmyeon complimented her as she dusted off her white and pink hanbok. junmyeon thought joohyun had always been effortlessly beautiful, even without make-up.

“you too,” she reached for junmyeon’s hand, “junhee.” and smiled at him.

the house mother yelled at the two from downstairs, telling them to speed it up. so, the two made their way down quickly as their could. two men who looked like palace guards entered the house, each with cloth on hand.

“blindfolds,” the two men presented the cloth to the gisaengs. “where you’re going, we cannot fully disclose until you get there.”

joohyun and junhee looked at each other, both with apprehensive faces. however, they were paid already, and non-compliance meant they were kicked out of their gisaeng house with a destroyed reputation.

the two men led the gisaengs in a palanquin, where the two sat uncomfortably with their backs hunched. junmyeon felt the ache on his shoulders as the journey went by. however, it was not as long as they expected; the space in the palanquin was small for both of them to fit.

the two men then assisted the gisaengs out of the palanquin and into a flight of stairs, still with their blindfolds on. junmyeon and joohyun held each other’s hands since junmyeon sensed fear with joohyun when they got out of the palanquin. joohyun’s voice was quivering and junmyeon grabbed hold of joohyun to comfort her. the two men held the gisaengs by the shoulders and ordered them what to do.

after conquering mount stairs, the two men told them to wait by a huge door. joohyun held on junmyeon’s hand tighter and junmyeon squeezed joohyun’s hand to signify he was doing alright, despite their condition.

junmyeon and joohyun heard a resounding, “enter” and two humongous doors opened to reveal them, while still in blindfold. joohyun and junmyeon heard cheers and noise and revelry. yellow light presented itself to them, since the blindfold was shallow. the two men then whispered to the gisaengs to take their blindfolds off. joohyun gasped at the sight they were shown.

the men of the royal household and noblemen gathered for prince yifan’s celebration to marry princess soohee of korea, and everyone has been welcoming of the prince’s addition to the korean royal household. there was a huge feast for everyone to enjoy, as exhibited by the gluttons and drunks in the banquet. most of the attendees laughed boisterously, some others were dancing, but all were visibly drinking.

“ah, welcome, welcome!!!” one of the older noblemen stood up when he caught a glimpse, albeit blurry, of the gisaengs. junmyeon recognized the man-- kim donghan-- one of his father’s friends. junmyeon’s eyes widened as donghan went near the two; he wanted to hide, but hopefully while intoxicated, donghan won’t recognize him.

“ahhhh, you both are so pretty.” donghan chuckled as he caressed their faces with his fingers.

joohyun managed to keep a straight face despite the creepy touches. junmyeon, on the other hand, had a disgusted look on his face. a man he once knew turned out to be a creep.

donghan suddenly stopped when he heard the echo of a clicking of a tongue. it was a disapproving sound that made him flinch. he froze at the sound and turned around to see that prince yifan was standing up in the middle of the room. he put his head down, and so did joohyun and junmyeon.

prince yifan eyed the gisaengs, and with a flick of a finger, he told them to come closer to them by the table.

as the gisaengs approached the men in the table, they made noises and wolf whistles. the two remained unfazed as this was part of their training; never engage, just look beautiful and perform.

the two introduced themselves as joohyun and junhee, and they will recite a poem, do a short dance number, and sing. the men were cheering and shouting once the performers had started. even with the distraction, the gisaeng pair managed to end their performances well as rehearsed. joohyun was tasked to do a dance, in which junhee had to use a string musical instrument. lastly, junhee will perform a song, with joohyun accompanying him with the instrument. in both performances, all men were enchanted and immersed, but they cheered and shouted and even broke glasses. however, during junhee’s musical number, prince yifan stared at him despite junhee’s shaky voice. it was her first time to perform in front of royalty and was afraid of messing up his performance. the prince then beckoned for one of the younger nobles to his side and whispered something and the two men eyed junhee. junhee was preoccupied with talking to joohyun at the time.

suddenly, the younger noble tapped junmyeon on the shoulder and whispered, “the prince wants you in his chambers.” at that, junmyeon widened his eyes and talked to joohyun privately.

“prince yifan wants me in his chambers.” junmyeon was trying not to panic. it seems prince yifan wants to engage him in so much more, but intimate relations are not allowed. even if junmyeon was in love with him, not ever did he fantasize about wanting to have intimacy with him. considering their circumstances.

joohyun became worried for junmyeon too, especially if the prince is forceful. however, it was the prince and his orders come first.

“just go.” joohyun prodded him. “if the house mother will hear about this, you may face execution from her.”

“okay then,” junmyeon nodded as he frowned. “will you be okay here?”

joohyun nodded slowly and smiled. “go.”

a young nobleman escorted junmyeon to prince yifan’s chambers. prince yifan will follow them soon after.

junmyeon observed prince yifan’s chambers. since he was the prince, of course the kingdom would provide him a large accommodation. there was only a desk by the window and a bookshelf. junmyeon wondered if he were the one in prince yifan’s place or even princess soohee’s. she is lucky she’s marrying a handsome prince, junmyeon thought.

suddenly, he heard a door creak and he turned around to see a man wearing a blue _gonryongpo,_ despite not being the crown prince. since the current korean king was blessed with daughters, he treated prince yifan like a son to him. when junmyeon saw the robe, he immediately bowed his head.

“no need to bow,” prince yifan said. “we’re in my chambers, no one will disturb us.” he added. so junmyeon stood up straight.

junmyeon gulped at the aura the prince exuded. he thought prince yifan was this kind man who smiled at everyone in the palace despite his class. yet, privately, prince yifan showed his true colors.

“i want you on my bed.” prince yifan then ordered.

junmyeon gasped but protested suggesting, “would it be better if i presented you with poems or songs?”

“enough of those.” prince yifan maintained; he then undressed his robe, showing only his white undergarments.

“let me look at you.” he said approaching the gisaeng.

the prince circled around junmyeon and observed every inch of him.

“you are so beautiful,” the prince whispered gravelly in junmyeon’s ear. junmyeon can smell the alcohol from his breath, which made him want to nauseate.

“thank you, your highness.” junmyeon said breathily.

the prince then started to slide down the black _jeogori_ of junmyeon’s hanbok, while one of the prince’s hands rested on junmyeon’s hips. junmyeon stood frozen at the movement. he then felt the prince’s lips atop the thin clothing that covered his upper body to conceal the lack of breasts. junmyeon moaned at the very touch. however, junmyeon realized that if he was found out he would be executed. he then had to put an end to the situation that he moved away from the prince and shoved his hand from his hips, and left the prince confused.

“what’s wrong, beautiful?” he asked.

“i’m so sorry, your highness, i cannot abide.” junmyeon responded, with a wobbly voice. his head was down to show reverence.

“i’m giving you an opportunity here.” the prince said raucously that it made junmyeon flinch.

“i have a code to follow, your highness.” junmyeon emphasized.

“out!” the prince yelled at him and pointed at the door, and junmyeon teared up.

junmyeon then darted to the door and tried to remembered where he was supposed to go if he needed to leave. he was lucky to find the banquet thanks to noise. he looked for joohyun, but she was nowhere to be found. maybe she fell victim to one of the noblemen too. that’s when it hit him. gisaengs were seen not as performers, but sexual objects, and that’s how he found out about the dark secrets that lurked in every gisaeng’s demeanor. he refused to believe that men would take autonomy over a woman’s body, sometimes without her consent. when word gets out that woman was complied with the man’s wishes, that’s how they will get more clients.

when he realized it was hopeless to find joohyun, he started to breakdown. his tears trickled down his face, not minding the powder and the ink to run down from his face. the herald saw him crying and mentioned that his friend had already left. so he raced to the door and escaped to the village. some of the gisaengs who were returning also saw him and he didn’t care about their judgments. so long as he needed to get home.

junmyeon then went home to a dark house, but when he reached upstairs he found joohyun undressing.

“oh no, what happened?” joohyun asked as she stood up from their shared vanity and embraced her friend.

that night, junmyeon confided to joohyun what ensued. junmyeon and joohyun slept in their bed together and joohyun made sure that her friend was peaceful in slumber.

the next morning, joohyun and junmyeon remained asleep. however, there was a ruckus at the door with loud repeated knocks waking both of them. the house mother answered the door and saw two royal security aides.

“we are here in behalf of the palace.” the guards announced.

“we hereby arrest the scholar kim junmyeon for impersonating a gisaeng.” the guards added and the onlookers gasp.

“i cannot let you get him.” the house mother stood firmly at the door, but the men were much stronger.

the men made their way upstairs and saw taeyeon with her arms crossed and her face stoic.

“where’s kim junmyeon?” they asked.

taeyeon pointed to the door and the guards slammed the door open.

junmyeon immediately stood up and told joohyun to stand behind him.

“kim junmyeon you are under arrest.” the guards declared as they seized him.

“what did i do!?” junmyeon protested. “i need to know!”

“you impersonated a gisaeng and touched the prince.” the guards answered as they put cuffs on him.

“junmyeon!!!” joohyun cried seeing her friend getting arrested.

“i’ll be okay, joohyun.” junmyeon said just to calm her down.

the guards then took junmyeon downstairs then to a barred carriage where onlookers can see how the royal family showcased their criminals.

once they reached the palace, the two guards forcefully pulled junmyeon and led him to the prince’s palace to try him.

the two guards announced their arrival, so the herald could pass it onto one of the prince’s aides.

“your royal highness,” the two guards then bowed once he appeared. “here is the criminal.”

they threw junmyeon in front of the prince. junmyeon had a pitiful look on his face as he looked up to see the prince; he hoped he would show mercy.

“how dare you look at the prince!” one of the guards exclaimed, junmyeon then immediately put his head down.

“what do you have to say for yourself?” the prince asked in a guttural tone.

“nothing, your highness.” junmyeon answered, with the voice he used last night. his voice sounded brittle.

“you are that gisaeng.” the prince scoffed. “i had been informed by one of the gisaengs in your home. taeyeon. she immediately reported you.”

junmyeon felt angry and deceit over taeyeon’s actions that tears fell from his eyes freely.

“get him out of my sight,” the prince ordered the two guards. the two guards then forcefully grabbed junmyeon on both of his sides. “execute him.” the prince added, and junmyeon sobbed at the prince’s command, without hearing his side once.

the two guards informed junmyeon’s mother of his deception, and she fainted at the news. meanwhile, joohyun remained in the gisaeng house because she couldn’t bear not seeing her friend executed. only the public was there for his execution, not even taeyeon. once a sheet was fitted in his head, he whispered his final words as the faces of his mother and joohyun flashed before his eyes. his head managed to show him a vision of yifan, smiling at him before he knew of his ill intentions and to junmyeon, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next stories will be up soon. i had to deal with many personal life things that i had to hold off writing.


End file.
